Desorption kinetics of PAHs from aged industrial soils for availability assessment.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), may be found in high concentrations in soils of former industrial sites including manufactured gas plants or coking plants. Techniques using moderate solvent extraction, biological tests or solid phase extraction have proved useful for pollution availability estimation. However, more accurate and reliable measurement tools specifically adapted to low concentrations are still needed.